Rigid ballistic armor plates, also known as rifle plates, are cloth covered plates of ballistic material, such as hardened steel, ceramic composites, or thermally formed and bonded layered ballistic fabric. Armor plates are used as inserts in specialized garments, called plate carriers, that suspend and position the plate on the wearer's body. Plate carriers are well known in the military and law enforcement communities. Heretofore, plate carriers have used internal pockets or pouches to support the ballistic plates. The use of pockets and pouches simply to support the weight and bulk of the ballistic plates within the carrier adds significant bulk and weight to the wearer. Due to the equipment loads carried, reducing the weight of the plates and the plate carriers is always beneficial to military and law enforcement personnel.
The present invention provides for body armor plates having an integral Molle compatible front covering that allows pouches and other Molle compatible accessories to be directly affixed to the plate. The armor plate includes a ballistic core, an integral front covering of durable fabric having a plurality of horizontal slits arranged in a Molle compatible array and a rear covering of hook or loop pile fabric material. The array of slits in the integral front cover of the armor plate allows Molle compatible pouches to be directly attached to the plate, thereby eliminating the need for a separate plate carrier or vest and greatly reduces overall weight and bulk of the personal armor system. In addition, the hook and/or loop pile material of the integral back covering of the armor plate itself allows support straps to be connected directly to the plate without additional support or carrier apparatus needed to hold the plates to a wearer.
The above described features and advantages, as well as others, will become more readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.